Category: General

Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ga East, John Kwoa  Sackey, has said Members of Parliament during campaigns should not go about promising things they cannot do.

According to the former MCE, construction of roads is not the duty of the lawmaker but they go about promising that during election time.

“MPs are members of the Assembly, and Assemblies whatever plans they have they can channel it through them”, he lamented.

He further added that, road construction is very expensive; during my time we picked up roads that are supposed to be rehabilitated, we have data already, “with the road funding it is fast when it is donor, but from government it means it has to be paid base on work done, and depending upon the revenue that comes in”.

“Most to the time MPs go about making noise, when I was in office and the Atomic roundabout curved in at the time, we talked to the urban roads and they were there working, the current MP from Dome/Kwabenya came there with cameras took video and pictures went to Parliament with it”.

He added that the then Regional Minister told her that the project has already been given to urban roads, “she only wanted to score cheap political point, development is suppose to come from the districts as we all take part in preparation of budget and implementation.

“NPP is found of promising that is why the demand for roads is on them so much”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The former deputy Minister for Power during the erstwhile John Mahama government, John Jinapor has expressed worry that happenings at Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) suggest that Ghana’s petrochemical industry is not safe under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

According to him if ”previous allegations and investigations are anything to go by, then any discerning Ghanaian can come to a firm conclusion that the Akufo-Addo led administration cannot be trusted to conduct any transparent, unbiased and meaningful investigation into these scandalous and corruption-laden spectacle that has engulfed the GNPC”.

Mr Jinapor who is the Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawwgu constituency in the Northern region in a statement issued in Accra is demanding a bi-partisan Parliamentary investigation into happenings at GNPC in order to establish the truth.

…“the only acceptable antidote to this canker of yet another national disgrace, this time at the GNPC, is for a bi-partisan Parliamentary enquiry to determine the underlying cause(s) of all these scandalous allegations and make appropriate recommendations in order to save the GNPC from collapse” he stated.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayiribi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has commissioned an electrification project which hasconnected 32 communities in the area to the national grid.

These forms part of measures to expand electricity coverage and infrastructure to rural communities.
Beneficiary communities include Betenase, Bokor, Arkoh, Nkansah No.1, Amponsah, Sukuran, Pantinpa and Krofom.

The rest are Yaw Nkran, Paawudu, Ayeboafo No.1 and No. 2, Wawase, Nii Quaye and Boatemaa, among others.

The gesture the MP stated was in fulfillment of his campaign promise in the run up to the 2016 polls which is in line with President Akufo Addo’s vision.

“Our President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo is fulfilling his campaign promises to the good people of Ghana. And that is exactly what we are also doing here in the constituency. We promised to help these communities get electricity during our last election campaign and that promise has been fulfilled in two year,” he said.

The MP expressed excitement about the project which said will bring about development to the communities.

Mr Oppong Nhrumah is the Minister for Information was assisted by District Chief Executive for Akyemansa, Paul Asamoah, official of the Electricity Company and some NPP party Executives to perform the commissioning ceremony.

Officials of the electricity company used the occasion to educate the community on responsible use of power in order to cut cost.

Chrisitan Kpesese/ghanamps.com

Parliament has approved a tax waiver of 802,262.00 euros for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) which is expected to increase revenue collection and ensure sustainable potable water services delivery throughout the country.

The waiver was granted after the finance committee presented a report on the request for waiver of import duties, import VAT/GETFund Levy, Import NHIL, ECOWAS Levy, EXIM Levy, Special Import levy amounting to Ghana cedi equivalent of eight hundred and two thousand, two hundred and sixty-two euros (€802,262.00) on project materials and equipment to be imported for the implementation of the services for the enhancement of nationwide water network management project by the Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL).

Chairman of the committee, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah who presented the report outlined the rationale for the project which he states will support GWCL to develop a plan for systematic measurement and reduction of non-revenue water within the service area, develop an area map for flow control and the effective management of districts to the walk and cycle level.

The project is also expected to locate the strategic assets, conditions of the assets, develop applications and remotely manage these assets, increase revenue collection and ensure sustainable potable water services delivery.

It will enable GWCL to properly plan and maintain its systems, improve revenue collection, reduce non-revenue water and improve public relation support of the company.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Garu the constituency in the Upper East region, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka has provided small water systems to some selected communities in the area.

The gesture is to ease the plight of the people who are confronted with major challenge of water delivery almost every year.

Residents in the Garu district are the worse affected during the dry season despite the fact that boreholes are dotted in the area, since barely provide adequate water to serve the growing population.

Contaminated water with health threats from dams, dugouts, ponds and lakes mostly serve the people water during the dry season since there was no other option.

The MP in presenting the small water systems procured through his share of the MPs common Fund said the gesture is a means of accounting to constituents and urged the need for urgent action to curb the challenge of portable drinking water.

“Potable drinking water in the area is a major problem facing the people in the locality, which needs to be addressed urgently,” he stated.

Thirty communities across the district are earmarked for the construction of boreholes which are at various levels of completion. Eight communities have had their boreholes completed awaiting handing over.
These communities are Kpatibuarin, Kukbulug, Kpatua-No2, Atamidaboog, Pialug-Maalnateng, Gbanterago area, Zisieri area and Tengsung.

Communities, particularly in remote areas in the district, also lack basic training and capacity to maintain wells, hand pumps and other systems which the World Vision organization has provided.
He said efforts were being made to ensure that resources meant for development projects in the area were not diverted or misappropriated.

Mr. Akuka explained that it was not right for members of parliament to wait until election period to interact with electorates and find solutions to their developmental problems.

He noted that governance was a means of impacting on the lives of the people and must therefore not be seen as a business to amass wealth to the detriment of the citizenry.

The MP expressed gratitude to the traditional rulers in the area and the constituents but urged them to cooperate with him together with other NGOs for more development in the area.

Meanwhile, he has collaborated with the district health directorate to organise a health screening for the people on Hepatitis B, blood pressure levels and other illnesses.

The screening exercise was to ensure early detection of health problems amongst inhabitants across the district for early treatment.

The MP indicated that the local economy thrives on healthy people, hence the screening exercise will help improve on the health needs of the people in the district to boost productivity.

The MP has also organised two effective extra classes to help the youth improve on their education.  A total of 150 students in SHS and tertiary institutions have benefited from his share of the MP’s common fund and distributed 500 dual desks to various schools in the districts that are in dire need of furniture.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The Dome/Kwabenya Constituency Chairman for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Isaac Nii   Lamptey has said the Executives still have work to do in educating party supports on how to vote.

According to the constituency chairman despite the education carried out on the subject, people still made mistakes and they recorded two (2) spoilt ballot papers and six rejected, in last weekend’s Presidential primary.

In an earlier interview before declaration of the results, the constituency chair pointed out that education on how to vote properly had gone on to ensure that there was no spoilt ballot paper.
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Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former President Rawlings and founder of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Jerry John Rawlings has congratulated flagbearer elect of the party in the just ended presidential primaries, Mr John Mahama.

“My congratulations, to former President J. D. Mahama on his election as the presidential candidate of the NDC”.

He also congratulated other candidates who did not win for the dignified manner they conducted themselves throughout the process for accepting the results in a mature manner.

“While congratulating ourselves as a party for a relatively smooth process, we have to remember that this is only the first step of the task to convince the larger Ghanaian electorate”, he twitted.

And urged the NDC flagbearer, party leadership and all the grassroots to work together to re-embrace the NDC’s core principles in a bid to carve a positive message and image for the party.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ga East, Ekwow Sacky has said with united Executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dome/Kwabenya seat can be recaptured after letting go for more than twenty years.

According to the former MCE he is happy with the way and manner the Executives are united and working in the Dome/Kwabenya constituency.

“In the past there were differences and a lot of work did not go on, there was no team work but the way they are working if it continues we would take the seat”.

He further pointed out in an interview that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not development oriented they have not put in development in most of the areas in the constituency, they are only re-commissioning and re-naming most of the projects that we have done.

Again we have a hundred bed capacity hospital at atomic, which was initiated by the NDC, it was supposed to go to Madina, but the land there could not fit into the project.

“We arranged and have it in Atomic, and the Assembly initiated a smaller project later for Madina, the way we started it should have been completed by now but”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has urged the assembly to assist clear stores on the roads which would delay rehabilitation of roads in the constituency.

According to the Minister the clearing of stores on the sides of the roads should be carried out within two weeks.

The Majority leader further explained that he had gotten in touch with the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta who had agreed to come and work on roads in his constituency.

Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu praised the contractor and indicated that he is very competent and has a capacity that none of the  Ghanaian contractors have, but felt short of mentioning the name of the contractor and the firm.

As to why Asawase has the best of roads when it comes to Ashanti Region, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that, the asphalting of the road was done during the regime of the previous administration.

“Dr. Opuni as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cocoa Board, promised to help all constituencies in the Ashanti Region with six kilometers of road, but we realized that it was sent to just one constituency, in all should be sixty kilometers”.

He recounted that Ghana went to look for a loan of twenty-two million dollars for roads with government having a counterpart fund of three point five million dollars, at the end of the day the funds was used to construct roads for only Asawase.

“Asawase roads cannot be compared to Suame, Bantama, Tafo Menshyia North so if you want to know the reason behind the good roads in Asawase that is the history behind it”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com